Genetic polymorphism of ceruloplasmin in the rat.

The genetic heterogeneity of ceruloplasmin in serum was studied in the progeny of the (LEW X BN)F1 X (LEW X BN)F1 rats. The results of the statistical analysis showed that the Hbb and c loci were linked. However, the autosomal Ces gene was not linked to the Hbb or c loci. The Ces gene was expressed in normal Mendelian pattern and had two alleles that manifested a low (Cesl) or high (Cesh) level of the enzyme in serum. The Cesl gene was expressed as a dominant in the F1 generation. Two phenotypes CES-H and CES-L were found in the F2 rats; the females in the parental strain and hybrid had higher ceruloplasmin concentration than the male rats.